STUPID FRANK!

Chapter Nine

I wake up to a text from Enzo to meet him outside. "How do you know where I live?" I ask "ways." He hands me an envelope. "$2,500. Because you really put on a show." I smile at him. "Did you hear the radio?" I ask, he nods. "They believed you for a solid five." we both laugh and then he tells me he has to go. I head back inside and make breakfast. Carl comes down yelling at Lip. Debbie walks down with Liam and Ian runs down the stairs and out of the house. "Mickeys." He calls and I laugh. Breakfast is fast because Debbie and Carl woke up late and I was going to walk them to school. I figured my pill can wait and I ran out the door to meet them. It's a small walk but I didn't like the idea of them going alone. "So, who was the man who came by," Carl asks me. "Oh, He's a dealer I work with." Debbie stops in front of me. "A dealer?" I laugh. "More like a mob, hitman type dude but yeah, A dealer." We walk in silence for the remainder of the way. "Be safe," Debbie says as she hugs me. "It's pretty badass though," Carl calls out to me as he walks into the building. 

 I walk in the direction of Mickeys. "She's pregnant." He tells me when I step into the house. "Who? Yours?" My brain hurts as I try to keep up with the rambling. "The slut my dad had me fuck, she's pregnant. Insist it's mine." He stands up and starts pacing the room. "Im sure it will be okay." He whips around to face me. "OKAY? I GOT A WHORE PREGNANT, DADS HAVING ME MARRY HER AND IM FUCKING GAY!" He screams. "Get out," he whispers. When I don't move he yells this time. "GET OUT!" He picks up the closest thing to him, which is a random beer can, and throws it at me. I walk out of Mickey's confused. What just happened? I look at my phone. 9 am. I have time for a walk, shower, and lunch. My legs carry me to the park. I sit next to a tree for what feels like minutes. When I get up my stomach grumbles. I check my phone to see if somehow it's lunch. 1:47 pm. I panic, I've missed the second pill. This is three in a row I've missed.

Im walking home when I swear I hear my name. "Monica?" I question. I walk to the call but its no one. "Monica?" I call again. Part of me missing her. Tears roll down my face and my shoulders droop. I can hear her in my head. Small ideas of things to do as distractions rush into my brain, Car theft, shoot out, rob a store, a bank. Fuck, Im going home. No one home so it doesn't matter that Im crying. I step inside and Lip is on the phone in the kitchen. Shit. I turn to run up the stairs and I hear him call my name. "Shit, Mandy I have to go." I hear the phone hang up as I round the stairs and run into me and Debbies room. I slam the door and slide down it, placing myself on the floor. I hear a knock. " Are you okay?" Lip sounds concerned. "Im gonna come in, Just to see if your okay," he tells me. I push away from the door and sit next to it. "I miss Mom."I whimper. "I fucking miss that bitch. She left me alone, two years, no food, no money, not even near Chicago so I had no one. And I still love her." He moves me so im sitting in between him and laying back on his chest. He hugs me and rubs my back. "I was alone and scared, I was with the wrong crowd and she would call. And, and promise me things. She said she would be home soon, and we could party." I start sobbing. "She's a great mom when she's there." I hear him agree. "I hated foster homes. The ones in Boston, North Carolina, Florida, New York. The abusive ones, the ones with ten kids in one room." I feel panic. "I don't wanna go back there. But I want to go back with Mom." he hugs me tighter. "I know, just know that she wasn't there because she cant be. She wasn't made like that. You have us now. We aren't much, but it's family. We have a home, and food and no foster homes." We hear the phone ring and he slowly gets up. "Take a nap, go for a small walk. I'll be back." I just stay on the floor. Eventually, Im just curled in a ball. Lip hands me a soda and beagle. I look at the food, not very hungry. "Eat something." He says picking up my plate. "Please." I roll to the other side and let out a huff. "I can't," I say. My brain is going a million thoughts a second. Lip gets up to leave and im overcome by an anxious fear of being alone. "Wait, come sit," I call as I move to face him. "Are you okay? Lately, you've been off." My eyes trail to my bag. Lip follows my gaze and grabs my bag. He shuffles through till I hear him hit the pills. "Are you on drugs? Who did you steal these from." I rip them from his hand and cover the label. "Don't touch my shit."  He pauses. "What are they? Who did you steal them off?"

"Their mine, prescribed."

"For what?" He tries to look around my hand to catch the label. "You wouldn't be happy with it," I say to him. "I won't tell anyone, what are they?"

"What do you think." His eyes widen. "Those arent..." I show him the label. "Don't tell everyone else." 

"Since when?"

"Mandy and Mick have been trying to get me to go to the doctors for a year, These are new thought. Maybe a week?" He just nods. "I became pretty stable with them, and the last 24 hours I have been forgetting to take them." He just hugs me. He's a good brother like that. No excessive questioning, no ratting on me, and no judgment.